


difficult job.

by pyroallerdyce



Series: (not at all spooky) skywalkers series [october writing challenge 2020] [6]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, One Shot Collection, Prompt Fic, Short One Shot, Tumblr Prompt, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000, october writing challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:16:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26859574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce
Summary: The twins were the greatest blessing that had ever entered her life.  They had struggled so much in their attempt to have children and she was almost at the point where she thought it would never happen when it finally did.  Her world revolved around them now and would until her last breath.  Luke was her sun and Leia her moon.  Being a mother was the most fulfilling thing that she’d ever done, and she knew that nothing else would ever compare to the feeling that her children gave her.She also knew that being a mother was a lot harder than her mother had ever made it look, and ever since Jobal had returned home after staying to help in those first few weeks, Padmé had been more than overwhelmed.  Still, she tried not to let it show, knowing that she needed to be supportive of Anakin.  The last thing that he needed was her losing control of things.or:  Padmé is trying to take care of the twins without any help, but she's about to lose her mind. Anakin discovers this in a surprising way.(these will really make little sense unless you read the whole series.)
Relationships: Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Series: (not at all spooky) skywalkers series [october writing challenge 2020] [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947904
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30
Collections: October Writing Challenge - 2020





	difficult job.

**Author's Note:**

> attempt to break my writer's block day 6.
> 
> we're about to leave the fifties and enter into the sixties. but first, one more bit of fifties fun. 
> 
> a reminder that this will be a three-generational story, not that it matters at the moment.
> 
> if you like what you read here and you want to see more, please let me know via a comment or kudos or bookmark so that I know I'm not writing into a void. enjoy!
> 
> october 6: "This is harder than it looks and I don’t think you realize that.”

**1958**

Skywalker Incorporated had purchased two smaller banking companies about a month after the twins were born, so therefore Anakin was constantly working late nights and sometimes weekends in order to get the mergers finished by the deadline. These purchases had been his first major acquisitions as CEO, and Padmé knew that it meant everything to him to get things done successfully and on time. She reminded herself to be patient with him whenever he seemed stressed out, filled his evenings with details of how the twins’ day had gone since he’d returned home after they’d gone to bed, and did everything she could to be the best wife she possibly could be.

But Padmé was also about to lose her mind.

The twins were the greatest blessing that had ever entered her life. They had struggled so much in their attempt to have children and she was almost at the point where she thought it would never happen when it finally did. Her world revolved around them now and would until her last breath. Luke was her sun and Leia her moon. Being a mother was the most fulfilling thing that she’d ever done, and she knew that nothing else would ever compare to the feeling that her children gave her.

She also knew that being a mother was a lot harder than her mother had ever made it look, and ever since Jobal had returned home after staying to help in those first few weeks, Padmé had been more than overwhelmed. Still, she tried not to let it show, knowing that she needed to be supportive of Anakin. The last thing that he needed was her losing control of things. 

But then one evening Anakin didn’t come home until after eleven, and when Padmé tried to tell him that he could stay up if he wished but she was going to bed, Anakin questioned why she was so tired. She’d been home all day. 

That’s when Padmé lost it.

She’d been standing near a credenza that had three porcelain vases sitting on it when he’d said it, and before she’d even thought about it, she picked up one of them and hurled it in Anakin’s direction. “Been home all day? I can’t possibly be tired because I’ve been home all day? You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about!”

Anakin ducked as the vase hit the chair next to him and broke, giving Padmé a bewildered look. “Darling, what are you doing?”

Padmé just picked up another vase and threw it too. She heard one of the babies start to cry after it shattered, and she knew that she needed to go comfort them, but she was not moving until she made her point. “I am _exhausted_ , Anakin, because I have been here caring for your children. They need to be fed and changed and looked after every second of the day. I don’t get a break. Luke has decided he wants to take naps at a different time than Leia is willing to sleep, so they’re never both asleep at the same time. They cry when they need anything, and once one of them starts crying then the other one does, and it takes _forever_ to get them to stop sometimes because I can’t comfort them both at once. I am up early and up late, I can’t tell you the last time I actually had a day where I ate lunch or dinner if you weren’t here for it, and I am at my wit’s end. But no, oh no, I’ve just been home all day. How could I possibly be tired?”

Padmé picked up the third vase, threw it towards him, and headed towards the nursery, leaving Anakin standing there in disbelief.

Both Luke and Leia were crying once she went into the room, and she felt weary with the fact that she was going to have to choose who to soothe first again. She hadn’t yet worked out a way for her to pick one up and then pick the other up without dropping the first, so she closed her eyes and tried to remember who she had soothed first the last time that it had happened earlier that day. Realizing that it was Luke’s turn to be soothed first, she went to Leia’s crib, caressed the side of her crying daughter’s face, and gave her a sad smile. “Mama’s sorry, Leia, but it’s Luke’s turn first,” she murmured before walking over to Luke’s crib.

“What does that mean?”

Anakin’s voice from the doorway startled her but Padmé didn’t stop, reaching into the crib instead to pick up Luke and cradle him close to her chest. “Shh, Luke,” she said as she rocked him back and forth. “It’s alright, my sweetheart. It’s okay.”

“Padmé, what does what you just said to Leia mean?” Anakin said, but Padmé just ignored him and sat down in the rocking chair with Luke. He watched her for a moment before it hit him like a punch to the gut. “You have to take turns soothing them?”

“I am only one person, Ani. There are two of them and I haven’t yet worked out how to pick them both up at the same time,” Padmé said, keeping her eyes on Luke as she rocked him.

Anakin shook his head and walked over to Leia’s crib, taking a deep breath as he carefully lifted her into his arms. He stared down at her as she cried, rocking her slowly to imitate what Padmé was doing with Luke. The two of them rocked the babies in silence as their cries slowly quieted down, and once Luke was asleep in her arms, Padmé stood up and carefully placed him back in his crib. 

Anakin laid Leia back down in hers a moment later, and then he followed Padmé out of the nursery and into their room. “Darling, I’m sorry for what I said.”

“I’m sure you are,” Padmé said as she messed with the pillows on the bed.

“I have been too busy to notice what you were going through,” Anakin said. “And you have done a very good job of trying to make it look like everything was under control.”

“It needs to be. I shouldn’t have had an outburst like that tonight. It’s just that this...this is harder than it looks and I don’t think you realize that.”

“No, I didn’t realize that, and yes, you really should have had an outburst like that,” Anakin said seriously. “It has brought two very important issues to light.”

“And those are?”

“The first is that I need to be paying less attention to work and more attention to my family,” Anakin replied. “And the second is that we need to discuss the options we have when it comes to getting you some help.”

Padmé sighed heavily and sat down on the bed. “I don’t want help, Ani. I can do this myself.”

Anakin sat down on the bed next to her, reaching for her hand. “Darling, it’s okay to admit that you need help. We’re in a position where we're able to get the best help that money can buy.”

“A mother can care for her own children,” was out of Padmé’s mouth before she could stop it, and Anakin sighed.

“When did Jobal say that?”

“On the phone a couple of weeks ago,” Padmé said quietly. “I don’t want to disappoint her.”

“Getting you some help so you can function like a normal human being is not going to disappoint her,” Anakin said seriously. “And I will deal with her on this if necessary. You said you’re not even eating, Padmé, and you need to do that.”

“They just always need something,” Padmé murmured, leaning into Anakin’s side. “I’m trying my hardest, Ani, but every time that they cry, I just feel like I’m failing.”

“You’re not,” Anakin responded, brushing a kiss along the top of her head. “I promise. Let me get you some help. You just have to say the word.”

Padmé closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Beru.”

Anakin was instantly confused. “Beru? My stepbrother’s fiancée? What does she have to do with anything?”

“She told me when we all had lunch last weekend that she would be more than willing to help me with the twins at any time because it would give her valuable experience while she tried to find a permanent job,” Padmé said softly. “She did just graduate from that nanny training school.”

Anakin blinked. “She did?”

Padmé chuckled. “Pay better attention next time, dear.”

“So Beru is a nanny then.”

“Yes.”

“And so you want her to help out until we find someone?”

“I want her to be that someone,” Padmé clarified. “I will feel far more comfortable with family helping out with the twins than I would if we start interviewing strangers to help take care of my children.”

“Then we will hire Beru,” Anakin said immediately. “I’ll make the call to Owen tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you,” Padmé breathed out. 

“Anything for you, my darling,” Anakin said, tilting her head up so he could kiss her. “I am sorry. I need to pay better attention to you as well.”

“Just finish these mergers already and promise me that you’ll never buy two companies at the same time ever again.”

Anakin chuckled. “I promise.”

“Thank,” Padmé got out before she yawned, and Anakin just shook his head. 

“To bed with you.”

“I need to make your dinner.”

“I am capable of making myself a sandwich,” Anakin said firmly. “You need to sleep.”

Padmé wanted to argue with me, but she wanted to sleep more. “Fine.”

Anakin kissed her again before standing up. “I’ll be quiet, I promise.”

“Be sure that you get enough sleep too,” Padmé said as he walked out of the room.

“I will, I promise.”

She sat there for a moment before standing and getting herself ready for bed, and then she crawled in between the sheets and closed her eyes. She was asleep in minutes, and when she woke up the next morning, she felt rested for once. Beru was there to help by ten a.m., and by the time the next night rolled around, Padmé decided that her outburst was the best thing she’d done in a long time.


End file.
